Restorative Dentistry in Cape May County
If you've lost teeth due to accident, injury, or gum disease, we offer several solutions to restore your smile. A tooth replacement will not only fill the gap, but it will also prevent repositioning of remaining teeth, correct a misaligned bite, improve chewing function and speech articulation, and provide internal structure for the face to give you a more youthful appearance.
Crowns & Bridges
Dental crowns and bridges are the most commonly used dental restorations. Whether you need to restore the form and function of damaged teeth or completely replace one or more consecutive teeth, these custom crafted restorations offer a natural looking and feeling solution. Dental crowns fit completely over the top of a damaged or decayed tooth. A crown allows us to preserve healthy natural structure while replacing lost structure to ensure your bite remains even and protecting the damaged tooth from further damage. A fixed bridge uses a row of dental crowns to replace one to three consecutive teeth. Two dental crowns, one on each end, are attached to a healthy tooth, and these crowns provide support for a replacement tooth or teeth.
Restorations can be crafted from gold, porcelain fused to metal, and all-ceramic. If you’re looking for a cosmetic solution, all-ceramic crowns are your best option. They maintain their natural appearance for years. Porcelain fused to metal crowns offer a more durable solution, and the porcelain layer makes this solution look natural. After years of wear, the darker metal below is revealed. Gold crowns offer the most durable solution, and they create the least wear against opposing teeth. However, they are the most noticeable restorations.
Dental crowns are placed over the course of two appointments at our office. During your first visit, we’ll prepare the tooth and capture impressions that will be used to craft your crown or bridge. Before you leave, we also place a temporary to protect the prepared tooth. Once we receive the final restoration, you’ll return to our office to exchange your temporary for the custom-crafted crown or bridge.
Removable & Partial Dentures
If you have experienced extensive tooth loss, you may need to consider a partial or full denture. Partial dentures, sometimes referred to simply as partials, use a gum colored base to support any number of replacement teeth. This partial is shaped to fit snugly between remaining teeth, and is held in place using metal clasps. A full denture is similarly made using a gum colored base to support replacement teeth. However, as there are no healthy teeth to provide support, a full denture is shaped to fit snuggly against the gums creating suction that holds the denture in place.
Root Canal Therapy
Teeth are made up of three layers: outer tooth enamel, supportive dentin, and the innermost layer of the tooth, the pulp. Root canal therapy treats damage or decay that affects this inner layer of the tooth. Root canal therapy may be necessary if a cavity is not treated in the early stages, a broken tooth affects the pulp, or traumatic injury causes damage to the pulp layer of the tooth. Root canals allow us to save a tooth that may otherwise need to be extracted.
Will root canal therapy hurt?
Many patients think of severe toothaches when they hear the term root canal. This is because the nerve system is housed within the pulp layers of teeth. When it’s accessed by damage or decay, the result is a painful toothache and sensitivity. The treatment itself can significantly reduce toothache pain that leads to the root canal. We start by drilling a small access hole from the top of the tooth. Then, we extract the pulp from the tooth, and refill it with a similar biologically-inert substance. We reseal the access hole, and in most cases, we recommend the placement of a dental crown to protect the tooth.
Sleep Apnea Therapy
Do you wake up still feeling tired after getting eight or more hours of sleep, or experience loud, chronic snoring? You may be suffering from a common sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Apnea occurs when you stop breathing for ten or more seconds at a time during seep. Patients with sleep apnea can experience these periods of breathlessness 100s of times a night. Many people who suffer from this sleep disorder think that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is their only treatment option. However, our team may be able to offer a more comfortable, portable solution – oral appliance therapy. We create an appliance that shifts the jaw forward, putting pressure on throat muscles, and keeping the airway clear at night.